Emergency Bitter ***New Interview***

Emerging from the UK underdog scene Emergency bitter are a great power-pop band with a style and class all their own. I recently got a chance to hear their current release the Football EP and was very impressed with their style and great sense of fun. They have put on some great shows and have a bit of a following amongst football fans of a certain team in the UK. I got Alb to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
I'm Alb, bass player with Emergency Bitter. The other members are Ferret on vocals, Joe on guitar and Phil on drums. We're based in South West London.

How did the band start?
Joe and I had been talking about getting a band together for years. We found out our mate Ferret could actually sing and eventually we sat down working out songs watching football on the telly and drinking cider, and it finally all came together after a year. Phil joined last year and fitted in perfectly, as he regularly brings cider to rehearsals.

How did you come up with the name?
It's a line from a UK comedy called Bottom, starring Rik Mayall & Ade Edmundson. People liked it and it has alcoholic connotations so we stuck with it.

Who would you say are your influences?
From original rock and rollers like Chuck Berry, to the 77 punk bands like Ramones, Clash, Ruts, SLF & Cock Sparrer through to NOFX, Rancid & Swingin' Utters. We also take huge influence from cider, punk rock, football, the interesting and somewhat mad people we know and love and idiots who annoy us enough to write hateful songs about them.

What is the punk scene like in the UK?
Hard work! Certain genres seem more popular and the scenes as such are very cliquey. However in the two years we're been playing we've met so many amazing people, promoters, bands and punters we know UK punk is in the good hands of talented, dedicated people. We just need more of the general public to turn off the reality TV shows and come and see some live music instead. Our style is definitely not trendy at present but we don't care. We play the music we want and if people like it then good. We're all too long in the tooth to worry about scenes and fashions.

Describe the song writing process..
Joe has written the bulk of our material and I've also written some lyrics he's put music to. We work by Joe putting together a demo, we listen, if we all like it we work it out at rehearsals and then inflict them on our audience.

You have released 'the Football' EP, tell us about the EP...
Four songs loosely based around our love of football. Sold My Soul has been a live favourite since our first ever gig, European Tour was written in excited haste when the team we all support qualified for the Europa League, Cliffy is about a larger than life character of the same name and Do the Hugh is a tribute to our number 1 fan with a most distinctive dance style. We did a limited run of cds and have really been pleasantly surprised by the sales and the feedback so far. We are now having to do a second batch which is hard work as we do it all ourselves.

What else have you released?
Nothing else yet, although we're planning to record an album for release later this year. We have more than enough good quality songs and want to do it right so we're currently looking for a good studio & producer.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
We've mostly done DIY gigs but some of the more well-known bands we've played with are The Stupids, Goober Patrol, Zatopeks, Wonk Unit and the Griswalds.

Where have you toured?
We've just came back from our biggest tour to date, one night in London & one in Brighton, and you should have seen the state of Ferret our singer on the morning after! We're slowly working our way up...

Is there a favourite band you like to do shows with?
Ooh, tough one this, but for me it's Freedom Faction, great people and a great band. Special mentions also to our mates in Snide, Skurvi, The Dead Beat, Oiz II Men, Code Blue & Atombuzz, whom we've played some cracking gigs with and we'd love to take on a huge package tour one day.

Is there a favourite place you like to do shows at?
Personally, I like our "home" venue in Kingston, The Fighting Cocks. Great sound courtesy of Sammy and Josh & co always look after us. However, Any gig where the promoter actually promotes the show and a effort is made with backline and sound is generally a good night - places like the 12 Bar in London, Corner House in Cambridge & Cobblers Thumb in Brighton.

What do you see is the future of Emergency Bitter?
We have no grand plan other than see how far we can go, so will keep going as long as we enjoy it. We've had a few knockbacks but then we've met some fantastic people and had some great times so long may it continue. We desperately need to get out of London more though, so any promoters please get in touch! (Which nicely leads to the next question...)

How can people contact the band?
We are all over the web! We are on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Emergency-Bitter/67919342789  and you can hear & download the EP at http://emergencybitter.bandcamp.com/.
To contact us directly please use emergencybitter@hotmail.com.